December 14, 2025
Today we’re talking about joy! We’re looking at the shepherds in the Christmas story. They were just minding their business in the fields at night, watching the sheep. I think they were happy: they had a job, they were out in nature, and they didn’t have to sit at a desk in an office. It sounds like a good life.
When something huge happened to them. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The shepherds are not feeling very happy right now! They are frightened of the blazing light of God’s presence and the sight of an angel!
But in Luke 2:10 the angel says to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” The angel tells the shepherds there’s no reason to fear. I bring good news! Did the angel say this good news will make you happy? No, he says he brings good news of great JOY! It’s joy, not happiness!
Joy is not the same thing as happiness. Joy is bigger and more complicated. Happiness is when something good happens to you, like you finish all your Christmas shopping! Or you open your presents and you get just what you want for Christmas! Or you win the lottery! But happiness depends on your circumstances. You’re probably not happy if you end up in the hospital. Or if your car breaks down. And the sad thing about happiness is, it doesn’t last. Lottery winners are really happy when they win, but their happiness lessens over time. Unless they win again!
Joy is different. Have you ever known someone who was in the hospital, but they are full of joy? They’re joking around with the staff. That’s not happiness! It’s joy! They know they have a serious illness; they are aware they have reason to be afraid. But they find joy in that hospital room! We’re going to see how the Shepherds make a choice to follow the joy.
The possibility of joy is a moment of truth for anyone. Will you seek joy? There’s often fear and risk in seeking joy. The Shepherds were afraid of the angel. But the angel says, don’t be afraid. It’s ok. The angel promises there will be great joy for all people, and they can go see the source of this joy, a baby in a manger.
The Shepherds have to decide what to do. Do they trust that God is at work? Do they believe the angel, or does it all sound too good to be true? Maybe they all just had the same strange dream about angels and a Savior! These shepherds are supposed to be working in a field. Is it worth the risk of leaving the sheep, when a lion or bear could attack the sheep while they’re gone? What if their boss finds out they left the sheep alone? They could be in trouble!
The road to a joyful life is full of risk! Do you give in to fear, or do you follow God to joy? Joy is about your purpose. The Shepherds don’t understand exactly what is going on. But they feel God tugging on them to pay attention to this scary angel and the good news and joy he promises!
They leave their sheep and go, believing that they are meant to experience joy! And they find their purpose! We are still telling their story today!
Remember, you are not put here on earth to just be happy from time to time. God offers joy as you follow him and live out your purpose! God may want you to take a risk, like leaving your job to take a different one. Or maybe part of God’s purpose for you is to stand up to your mother when she criticizes you. The shepherds felt the fear but do it anyway! They follow their purpose.
I think those shepherds lived with some danger and fear in their occupation. Sometimes predators came after the sheep: lions, bears, leopards or foxes. King David said when he was a shepherd, he killed lions and bears who tried to eat the sheep. The shepherds had the same job. They knew risk and fear are part of doing something great!
In verse 15 the shepherds say to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
They hurry off and find Joseph and Mary, and baby Jesus is lying in the manger! Verse 17 says, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” The shepherds couldn’t contain their joy! They couldn’t keep it to themselves! When you follow God, through the fear, beyond the risk, and arrive at joy, you realize you’re living your purpose. It is what you are meant to do! But the joy isn’t just for you. It’s for everybody! God has a purpose for you to spread joy! God doesn’t help you find joy, just so you’ll have something to brag about. He wants you to follow your purpose so you can share joy with the world!
Joy is not just about me. It’s not just about you. It’s about sharing the good news of God’s love, so the world can have joy!
Martha Beck is a life coach and wrote a book called, The Joy Diet, which isn’t about food. It’s about changing your life to experience more joy. Martha was in graduate school and was almost six months pregnant. She thought her purpose in life was to get a good education, a good paying job and status. She was feeling close to her baby, she could feel him kick. Then he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Her teachers and the people she looked up to told her that her baby’s life was worthless and meaningless and shouldn’t happen. Martha realized the people who were telling her that her baby could never be happy were not happy themselves.
She had heard people with Down Syndrome could be happy people. She thought if her son could experience a lot of joy in his life, he would have a life worth living! So, she kept him. And her son is a great source of joy for her and others!
My challenge for you is to think about, what gives you joy? That’s a clue to knowing the purpose God has for you! You keep following the source of joy, so you can share more with the world!
The Shepherds found Jesus lying in the manger because they took a risk and when on an adventure to seek the joy the angels promised. After they saw Joseph, Mary and Jesus, they didn’t keep their joy to themselves. They let other people in on this good news of great joy.
Pursuing the safe things in life may seem like a great way to have security and happiness. But when we pay attention to joy, we discover what makes us truly happy. We discover the purpose we have from God, which gives us and other people, joy upon joy! Amen.
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